Everybody Feels the Rain

This is our original version, with composer, Patrik Sheridan, singing. Always love to hear his emotions. He is passionate about music, songwriting, and life itself, I am sure! It’s fun to listen to this version and then to listen to the final cut with Lisa Perry.

Goin' Nowhere

This song was written in an unusually way. Patrik did the music 1st, and he sent it to me, along with like 3 or 4 lines, including the rag-top-Cadillac line. What a hoot! It is still among my favorites. Ashleigh Morrissey really nailed this one in the studio! Of course, she is always amazing in the studio. Whoa, do I miss her still, but her calling was to head west and now lives near LA, CA. : /

Wait

This one was composed by Patrick Mulvihill He also played a major part in my songwriting growth. Perhaps the most important thing he taught me was about a song’s “tone.” Each song has its very own mix of emotions, notes, mixes, and on. I just call it, how a song feels!

The Recipe

This song is one of my compositions. It really just hit me one night. Oddly enough, this song always reminds me of my niece ... about family. It was never a song about love, but the verses became a conversation between a couple?? Go figure! Anyway, my good friend, Geo Gubbins wrote the electric picking, which added another dimension to this song. We recorded this in my back yard or in the front room. We had loads of fun, working on music. George really kept me grounded on one hand and extremely supportive on the other hand. He has always lent his time, support, and energy in helping me with my songwriting. In fact, he designed my awesome web site, which you are reading now. He is a true friend and an inspiration to keep working at it! This recording lost most of the 1st verse. It starts near the end of that verse. Again, one of my all-time favorite songs!

My Daddy

My Baby & Me

Your Time

Way of Life

Perfect

Brandon Howard, recorded in Eureka, IL

You & Me

Hope, Shame & Fear

This is the original sung by Patrik Sheridan, composer. Again, his passion comes through quite well! This song was really hard to write, but I felt so compelled, after watching a show about abused women and how they and their plight has been obscured by the money rush. Every time I think about a man beating on a woman, I get angry. I was raised mainly by my mom and 3 sisters. Their impacts on my life may never be measured or understood. Of course, my dad and 2 older brothers were important as well, but these females from my childhood taught the male in me about respect and admiration for the opposite sex. When I was maybe 9 or 10, I punched my oldest sis in the belly. She was like 16 or 17, and when I hit her, her face turned pale as cotton. I will never, ever forget that moment and what it taught me. But my sisters, especially the 2 younger ones brought friendships, music, and fun into my world. I am so very lucky, indeed!

She Can’t Hear

No Einstein

Come Dance

We worked this song several times, making into its final form with Brandon Howard singing it, with his wife, Amy, singing background. Brandon had originally recorded it in Peoria, IL, but we wanted a newer version with subtle changes, so we brought it back into Eclipse and re-recorded everything.

Remember

Live and Learn

Written in Houston, TX. Singer & composer is Scott Monti. Was recorded at his house near Houston. Scott was a co-writer who worked with me for maybe 2 years, off and on. Last I knew, he worked in the dentistry industry, I think making bridges. He taught me lots about developing sound and fleshing out ideas.

Crossin' Wires

This song drove me into my 1srt-ever trip to a recording studio. This studio was one of the neatest studios ever! I remember the engineer’s 1st name, Andy. The studio is/was Sugar Hills, and it served as a true catalyst to my future in songwriting. This song is still one of my personal favorites.

Fearless

Amanda Johnson is the singer’s name. I learned lots about vocal production from her, mostly good. She was extremely nervous. At the song’s end, though, we couldn’t get that “lamb” sound from her southern drawl. I would surely love to find that Ben Collins. He sings background, because Scott’s voice didn’t match Amanda’s. Still, we all had such a great time, we even considered forming a band … a true illusion from the dreaminess of being in a studio and creating songs for the 1st time ever!

Sayin’ Goodbye

Never Been

1st take with composer, Kirk Ellis, as he had an idea for the sound of the song. I wrote the lyrics, based off this. Kirk and I discussed the feeling and energy of the song. Then, Erik Nelson (www.eclipsestudios.net) re-played and recorded the music tracks and added his vocal, which comes next.

Never Been

Here’s Erik, drum track and all singing the song in his way. He really understands the notes (Kirk does too). Erik helped tighten the lyric and further develop the overall sound.

Never Been

You can really hear the song take shape at this level, after adding instruments (including a touch of steel) and a tremendous singer, in Chris Krause. Chris also sings his own backgrounds on this. We also brought in an excellent drummer (Scott Gregory). I am way into live drums. : /

I Hear What You Ain't Sayin'

This is our 1st take at Patrik Sheridan’s house. I wrote it in a hotel room in Boston, MA. It was in the afternoon, on the day before an interview for a job I didn’t want. It and the song, I Love for This came out of that same afternoon. I think I had movies on cable. You can hear a few major lyric changes, most noticeably in the chorus and bridge. And, I think that Ashleigh’s dad suggested the “never” in the chorus “all the love we’re NEVER makin’” line, but I don’t recall the original line, though I do have 1st versions for many songs on assorted types of paper, with scribbles, scratches, and blots. Anyway, again, I really love Patrik’s passion in his vocals on this song. Of course, that same passion always comes through in his musical compositions! He is gifted.

I Hear What You Ain't Sayin'

This is our 1st take with Ashleigh. We still needed to clean up the lyric and music in places, and we wanted to add more instruments, but we liked the nakedness—the feel—of this version, and we wanted the vocal to feel that. So, Ashleigh provided, and I love how well her voice stands out and reaches inside of me! I still clearly remember that night in the studio.

I Hear What You Ain't Sayin'

Now, we produced the rest of the instruments into this ballad. It may be one of our best, given that it has a twist in the chorus and then a twist on the twist at the song’s final chorus. Since it is a favorite, I brought one of our excellent drummers, Scott Gregory in for this one.

Sayin' Goodbye Version #2

Created new version with Patrik Sheridan. I only shared an idea of what I wanted and handed him a lyric. He really just came up with this sound. Several small changes occurred in this version. But we had a long ways to go…

Sayin' Goodbye Version #3

We had an instrumental, which we really liked … looking for a singer. I especially like the subtle picking and the string additions. Still, we needed a singer, and I turned to the one who is my closest friend among singers, Ashleigh … we had her add backgrounds and liked what we heard.

Sayin' Goodbye Version #4

Here is the version with Ashleigh Morrissey singing. It’s amazing to see how this song evolved, how it sounds the same in some ways, but overall, it sounds very different from the recording done at Sugar Hills Recording Studio, one time “home” of Freddie Fender, among others … deep in the heart of TX! This one is another of my favorites, especially from the 2:30 mark on.

Semi Sweet Sam

Semi Sweet Sam

Semi Sweet Sam

Semi Sweet Sam

Sayin' Goodbye Version #1

This is the original version, written in Houston, TX. It was composed by Scott Monti (in Houston, TX) and sung by Amanda Johnson - It all started here ... but I wanted something different ... !

Since You